


give up the ocean

by polymerase



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, hella fluffy im so serious, makoto is a crybaby for disney movies, they're watching the little mermaid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 06:01:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1334662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polymerase/pseuds/polymerase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto shakes his head slowly. "What's the point of having an ocean if you don't have anyone to share it with?"</p>
<p>(Or, three times they watch The Little Mermaid and one time Haru understands.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	give up the ocean

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first work on here so i'm begging you to bear with me.

The first time they watch it is in elementary school.

It's completely embarrassing, of course, because they're both guys, and now that they're in elementary school, shouldn't they be more grown up?

But when Haru shakes his head no at his friend's choice, Makoto sighs softly and gets that stupid sad look in his eyes that Haru can't stand, so he grabs the dumb movie and sticks it in the player.

(He ignores Makoto's answering grin and he ignores the warm feeling in his stomach.)

Haru endures the cheerful music because he can tune it out in favor of the water (god, there's a lot of water), and because animated water is better than no water. Makoto starts to sing along but blushes when Haru gives him a sideways look and, of course, now he feels like he kicked a puppy, so he hums along under his breath.

Makoto is sniffling by the time Ursula is trying to marry Eric and full-on sobbing when Ariel's father agrees to let her go. Haru looks at him and the credits in disgust. "Why would she give up the water like that?"

Makoto has never looked more scandalized.

"Because she loves him, Haru-chan!" It speaks volumes about his annoyance level with the movie and that idiotic mermaid that he doesn't scowl about the -chan.

"That's stupid," and Haru rolls his eyes at Makoto's gasp. "She wanted legs instead of the water?"

Makoto's sigh is long-suffering and wise beyond his years. "You'll understand someday, Haru."

-

The next time they watch it is sometime in middle school.

This time, Haru chooses it because he doesn't believe Makoto when he says Haru hates it.

"That isn't true. When have you ever watched that movie with me?"

His best friend rolls his eyes and shrugs. "Fine, let's watch it." They grab Ran's DVD copy and settle back on the couch to watch.

(He ignores their hands brushing and he ignores Makoto's blush and he ignores the tight seize of his stomach.)

Twenty minutes in, Haru remembers.

He turns to Makoto with a grimace, but he finds green eyes locked on the bright screen, whispering the words to Part of Your World, and Haru is a sucker. So he sits back and suffers through the rest of the movie.

He waits for Makoto to dry his tears before he speaks. "It's still dumb."

"Haru-chan!" Makoto whines. "It isn't dumb! It's romantic. It's true love."

"She had the whole ocean to herself and she gave it up for some guy."

Makoto shakes his head slowly. "What's the point of having an ocean if you don't have anyone to share it with?"

-

 

The third time is the end of their third year of high school.

Makoto shuffles through the stack of old DVDs, separating them into ones he thinks Ran and Ren still want, ones he wants to keep, and ones to throw away. Haru watches him impassively. Suddenly, Makoto laughs and he gives him a cocked eyebrow.

He holds up a dusty case. "Remember this movie?"

How could Haru forget the stupidest mermaid in cinema? "Yeah," he grumbles, watching Makoto turn on the player and the television. "Wait, what are you doing?"

Makoto's face turns into a puppy dog pout. "For old times sake, Haru-chan!"

Haru rolls his eyes, "drop the -chan", but doesn't say anything else when Makoto turns up the volume and sits next to him on the couch, bodies brushing, pinky fingers entwined.

Halfway through the movie they end up cuddled together, Makoto's arms around Haru, humming the tunes softly into his hair. This time, he watches intently because after all these years he still can't understand why Makoto is so obsessed with the ending.

Hot tears drip onto his head when the seashell is smashed and he sighs. Giving up the ocean for someone...

And then he gets it. It rams into him like a train, this new understanding, because his Eric was sitting next to him for his whole life. He looks sideways at Makoto, who hasn't let go of Haru, even to dry his tears. They run down his face, but he's smiling, too.

"I love happy endings," is his boyfriend's choked answer to his glance, and Haru cranes up to kiss him softly.

"I know what you meant, now."

(This time he doesn't ignore the soft and well-worn smile Makoto gives him and he doesn't ignore the warm feeling in his chest.)

It isn't so stupid, after all.

 

**Author's Note:**

> this super short ((sorry)) mess was based on a super cute headcanon by craiglicious-edenfire57 on tumblr ((sorry that i didn't really do it justice)).
> 
> Soooo i hope you enjoyed it, whoever reads this.
> 
> -ladypem


End file.
